Magical Beginnings
by theinfinitemidnight
Summary: What happens in between the last chapter of the Deathly Hallows and the Epilogue. Ron and Hermione's love continues to grow, although it faces challenges when Hermione decides to return to Hogwarts and Ron does not; Harry/Ginny love continues & other...
1. Hanging On

Hermione couldn't believe it. It was all over. She couldn't absorb the fact that Harry, Ron, and herself did not have to constantly run anymore, switching from place to place, camping out in a tent that provided very little warmth or comfort every day. There was no more need to be in constant alert, and she could finally lie down in her bed in the Gryffindor girls' dormitory that has been waiting for her all year. Too tired to even notice the messy state she was in, she hastily washed her face and hands with the pitcher of water on her night side table, pouring it into the basin next to it. As soon as she felt some of the grime and blood clear her face, she plopped down on her four poster bed, relishing the feeling of the soft comforter and the plushy mattress- she hadn't felt this much luxury since she left the Burrow during Bill and Fleur's wedding. She closed her eyes, waiting for the long awaited peaceful slumber to come, but strangely, it did not. Something felt weird and out of place to her, yet she couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. Under her closed lids, the fallen bodies of the ones she cared about began to swim before her eyes, making her come to the realization that they were gone for good with a stab of pain. She felt tears well up under her eyelids and her eyebrows scrunched in the effort she took not to cry. Tonks. Lupin. Lavender. Fred. _Fred_… it suddenly dawned on Hermione that she knew exactly what was wrong, exactly why slumber wasn't coming to her. She hadn't slept without the presence of Ron and Harry in the longest time- she hadn't gone to bed not knowing that they had her back, that they were both protecting her from whatever harm may be out there. Although she knew that she was perfectly safe, with Voldemort gone and his Death Eaters, now unveiled, gone into hiding, she still felt an uneasiness in her heart and found that she could not go to sleep. Opening her eyes, she decided that she couldn't fall into a peaceful slumber, no matter how hard she tried. Pulling her shoes, worn from all the running and battles that it had been through, she made her way down the girls' dormitory stairs and made her way up the boys' dormitory stairs, in desperation to seek comfort in the presence of Harry and Ron's company.

When she finally made her way to the top of the stairs, she saw that the dormitory was empty except for Ron and Harry, each on a four poster bed that was draped in scarlet hangings next to each other- unmoving, not speaking to each other. At the sound of Hermione's footsteps, the boys simultaneously looked up. She made her way to Ron's bed and sat on the edge of it, uncertain whether she was welcome or not, but feeling relieved and comforted all the same because of the company of both boys. She felt Ron's hand enclose around her own, and even through all her grief she felt her heart quicken in pace. She looked down and met Ron's piercing blue eyes and gave him a small, watery smile that he returned. His eyes were full of the pain of losing Fred, yet he managed to smile for Hermione, knowing that she would need the comfort. She turned around and met Harry's green eyes, giving him a reassuring smile to let him know that it was really, truly over. She took his hand in her own, squeezing it, for she knew that he was silently blaming himself for all the heroic, dead bodies lying in the Great Hall, their eyes glazed over, never to see again.

Hermione, Harry, and Ron sat with their hands entwined for a while, until Harry pulled away from Hermione's grasp and broke the silence by saying quietly, "I'm going to take a walk, see if everyone's okay. Find Ginny and have a talk with her." Hermione saw Harry's eyes flicker over to Ron's, the plea for permission to see his sister in one swift glance. Ron's blue eyes looked back at Harry's green and gave the slightest nod and fell over onto his pillows, stretching himself out on the bed yet careful not to disturb Hermione's area on his mattress. Harry gave Hermione a small smile before leaving the dormitory to cope with his thoughts.

After Harry's footsteps could not be heard anymore, Hermione realized that it was just her and Ron in the dormitory. She felt guilty for thinking of their kiss at such a bad time, when Ron was grieving his brother, but she couldn't help it, remembering the feel of his passionate lips on hers. She noticed that their hands were still intertwined and she gave his hand a hesitant squeeze to see if he was okay, for his eyes were closed and his jaw was tense like it always got when he was upset. Ron opened his eyes and stared into her warm, beautiful brown eyes framed by her thick lashes, and pulled her hand gently so that she was lying down next to him on the bed. She turned to face him and looked up into his deep, endless blue eyes that reminded her so much of the sky on a beautiful day when the birds sang and the sunlight was endless. He wrapped his arm around her, closing his arms around Hermione, and let himself be comforted by her. She caressed his cheek and brushed his soft hair, somehow knowing that this was what he needed. Silence to mourn all the loved ones he lost, yet gentle touches to let him know that she was there for him. Ron sighed and opened his eyes again, staring into Hermione's eyes again, wordlessly thanking her for what she was doing. Although Ron was new to this with Hermione, the way he can be so free with his feelings and let her know the truth about how he felt about her, it felt just right to him when his lips met contact with her soft forehead, taking in her subtle, sweet smell as they were comforted by each other, saving one another from drowning in their sorrows.


	2. There is Time Enough

Harry made his way down from the boys' dormitory, giving Hermione and Ron some privacy and letting himself be free with his thoughts. What was he going to do now? He had nothing to pursue anymore, no more Horcruxes to destruct, no more Voldemort to worry about. Kingsley had offered him a position as an Auror at the ministry, but did he want to go into a job so early after the battle? Did he want to finish his magical education first? The questions of his future, as well as the tremendous waves of guilt that hit him with every step he took was making his head hurt. He couldn't bring himself to leave the Gryffindor common room- then he would have to face the reality of it all. The dead bodies that he would have to see, their faces so painfully familiar to him, each setting a pang in his heart that would trigger another wave of remorse and grief. Although he knew that it wasn't entirely his fault that they were never to see again, never to hear again, never to walk around breathing again, he felt responsible for not finding some way to the diadem that would've lessened the havoc. That would've saved lives, instead of making others battle it out while he searched for the lost diadem of Rowena Ravenclaw. He looked around at the familiar common room- the stone hearth and the armchairs that were weathered yet still so comfortable, the paintings on the walls, now empty to go visit other portraits and hash out the details of the battle, the soft scarlet carpet. With a deep breath, he walked towards the portrait hole and pushed the door open.

Harry made his way down the portrait hole and into the hallway. Professor McGonagall and the other remaining teachers, as well as the remaining members of the Order, had already begun reconstruction of the castle. Pieces of rubble were finding their way up to the ceiling to where they belonged previous to being destroyed, and the bodies of armor were returning to their regular positions around the castle. He made his way down the moving staircase and walked to the front entrance of the castle, desperate for some fresh air and sunlight that would hopefully help clear his thoughts. As he walked on, facing the ground, he suddenly felt a hand grasping his shoulder. Instinctively, Harry's hand went straight to the pocket of his robes and pulled out his old Phoenix tail wand, turning around quickly to see whom it was. The hand that lay on his shoulder belonged to Neville Longbottom, and Harry breathed a sigh of relief as he stowed his wand away.

"You alright there, Harry?" Neville asked in genuine concern. Harry, looking at the face he had known since he had stepped foot on the Hogwarts Express and feeling a rush of affection replied, "Yeah, I reckon it'll take some time to get used to, not having anything to do, but I'm alright. You, Neville?" Neville took his hand off Harry's shoulder and laughed, "I'm fine." His tone got more serious as he said, "It'll be hard to let Tonks, Remus, Fred, Lavender, Colin, and everyone else go, but we'll be okay. We'll make it through and make sure that they didn't die in vain. Luna's been helping me a lot with coping- she's wonderful when it comes to making people happy." Harry, finally smiling replied, "Finally getting together then, huh? I'm glad you found someone to lean on, Neville. I never got to properly thank you for killing the snake- thank you, Neville. And thanks for never losing faith in me." Neville grinned his lopsided grin and said, "Don't mention it Harry. We're all fellow Gryffindors, aren't we? Here to support each other. And yeah, I suppose, Luna's great and she can make me happier than anyone else can." With a smile he added, "I saw Ginny by the lake. Now that I have Luna, it's time for you to go fix things up with Ginny." Harry gave Neville a grateful look and they embraced each other briefly before parting their ways. As Harry walked on he realized how much the Neville he knew, the small, scared first year boy with a toad named Trevor has changed into the brave, strong, and loyal man that he knew today.

He continued walking the grounds, passing by Hagrid's hut that was inflicted with scorch marks, due to Bellatrix, and somewhere in the distance he heard Fang howl. He considered looking for Hagrid now and seeing if he was doing all right, but decided against it to let him have some time alone with Grawp and so that Harry could find Ginny before she could leave the lake. As he approached the lake, he saw lovely red hair swaying in the cool breeze as Ginny sat down at the edge of the lake and mindlessly threw pieces of bread in the water that disappeared momentarily because the giant squid had eaten it.

Instead of approaching her right away, he paused to admire the scenery. The lake was glittering in the sunlight, and the branches of the trees beside it were swaying lightly in the breeze, as if they were dancing to celebrate the winning of the battle. But those were not the most beautiful parts of the scenery- the girl that Harry knew, no longer afraid to speak to him, no longer fleeing from his presence- _she_ was the most beautiful part of the scenery. Unable to keep away from her any longer after missing her so much, he walked quickly down the hill and made his way next to where she was sitting down. At the sound of him behind her, she turned her head as he sat down next to her, finding his emerald green eyes staring into her deep chocolate brown ones. Harry found that her face was tear stained and her eyes were pained which caused him pain that cut through to his very core, yet nevertheless the sight of his face brought a smile upon her face, bringing her small comfort to know that he was okay, that he was there next to her. Ginny drank up his presence, trying to fill the holes in her heart in them, and placed her head on his shoulder to lean on him. She grasped his hand with her own, feeling his scarred hand and running over it with her thumb rhythmically, trying to both reassure him and herself at the same time. Harry brought his free hand around to ever so gently wipe the tears off her gorgeously freckled face. She looked up at his touch and they both leaned slowly forward, the emerald meeting the warm brown for a second before their lips met, putting their unspoken words so that the other can understand. And they both did understand. They sat under the sunlight and the cool breeze, hands entwined with her head on his shoulder and his head on top of hers, just enjoying the moment because now they could.


	3. Spreading Happiness

George didn't know where to go, what to do that wouldn't remind him of the fact that half of himself is gone- that a piece of him is dead, never to laugh at his jokes and to finish his sentences again. He had been walking aimlessly around the castle, numb from his inability to accept what happened to _him…._ to Fred. When Fred's name popped up into his mind, George gasped, his eyes widening, as if someone had stabbed him repeatedly, numerous times with a knife. Clutching his chest and breathing heavily, he leaned against a wall and slowly slid down, curling up into a ball. He placed his head between his legs and looked down in efforts to try and calm himself. Squeezing his eyes shut, as if that would prevent the pain, he leaned his head against the cool marble wall, concentrating on breathing. Inhale. Exhale.

As he leaned his head back, still curled up into a tight ball, he wished with every fiber of his being that it was him that was lying there under the vast ceiling of the Great Hall, unable to see, to feel anything. He would rather himself dead and Fred alive then to go on for the rest of his life without his brother, his twin- his best friend. George opened his eyes and stared unblinkingly out one of the castle's gargantuan windows. The sunlight was shining and there wasn't a cloud to be seen in the sky, yet it felt wrong. Normally, George would feel elated on a gorgeous day such as this one, unable to contain his excitement to go outside during his classes. Yet today, it felt so morbidly wrong that the sun was shining when Fred did not breathe anymore and was not next to him, making him laugh off the horrors of the war anymore. Still staring outside the window, a lone tear slipped slowly down George's freckled face as his heart pounded furiously, suddenly remembering random memories of himself and Fred. The time when they were two and Fred helped George climb onto his back to reach out of the playpen so they could grab their mother's wand laying on the table beside it and make things run around, chasing each other. The time when they were playing "Barber" as boys and Fred accidentally cut a chunk of George's hair off, resulting in crying from George- until Fred snipped a part of his own hair off to match George's. The time when George was getting teased mercilessly by Dinkleby about his red hair and being on the verge of tears when Fred marched up from making his sand castle and punched Dinkleby square in the nose, claiming that he would rather have red hair than boring ordinary hair, helping George up and leading him away. Their first Quidditch tryouts together, neither with any feelings of nervousness for they both knew that they were in it together. If they failed, the both of them would do it together. If they got a position on the team, they would still be by each other's side.

George smiled without realizing it, remembering Fred's merciless teasing about his incapability of ear humor, boasting that he had better jokes than _holey_. George froze, his smile slowly fading away as he realized what he was doing. This wasn't right. He shouldn't have the right to be happy, the right to smile when Fred couldn't feel anything. He shouldn't be able to feel anything but guilt and remorse if Fred couldn't smile or laugh with him. A fresh wave of guilt thundered down on George, making him shudder. Tears streamed down his face as he whispered, "_Freddie, I miss you. So much. It hurts so much, Freddie, please come back. Please, save me. I can't take this anymore, the pain, the grief- I can't imagine life without you. How am I going to look in the mirror from now on? Every time I pass by something reflective I'm going to think it's you and turn around to tell you something... and then realize that it's me. Freddie, please, it hurts. You're always there when I hurt, you're always there when I need you. Please. Gred needs you._"

George didn't know why he had said those things out loud, but it made him feel the tiniest bit better, getting it out in the open. To admit that he needed Fred. He never realized how much his twin meant to him and it had never occurred to him that he would get out of this battle without Fred. It's always been 'Fred and George' ever since their birth and it always has been… right up until now. George heard footsteps coming towards his direction, and his heart leapt. Maybe it was Fred! Maybe Fred had heard him and came to his aid, like he always has done. Maybe Fred was never dead in the first place, but simply stunned! George whipped his head around, glancing down the hall, hoping with all his being that it would be Fred sauntering down the hall without a care in the world, looking for his brother to laugh about Peeves' new song. As his eyes finally reached the end of the hall, he saw two ginger heads, but his heart came crashing down when he realized that it wasn't his twin, but his mother and his father. They were walking hand in hand, leaning on each other with their faces stained with the marks of anguish. They did not spot George yet, and when they finally did, his mother stared at him for a moment and burst into tears. His father patted his mother's back, his wizened face staring down at George, trying to stay strong for his wife. Arthur Weasley held out an arm for his son, to embrace him, yet George stood up and stiffened.

Seeing his mother bawl her heart out on her father's shoulder after seeing his face had a huge impact on George. He felt as if his heart was chopped up into a million pieces- the agony of it was unbearable. He didn't know what set him off, but he began crying again, the tears making intricate pathways down his freckled face as he began to shout, "_I am so sorry, Mum. I'm so sorry that my face looks just like his, that my voice sounds just like his, and that I'm just like him. I'm so sorry that every time you look at me or even __**think**__ about me you're going to be hit with grief over and over again. I know you and Dad tried to make sure people knew us as two separate beings, but that never worked, did it, Mum? We'll always be one, Freddie and I. I feel like I lost half of me, and I know it pains you so much to see only half of your sons here. I'm just so sorry that it's not me lying there in that hall instead of Fred. I'm so sorry to everyone else that was close to Fred that'll see my face because it'll cause them endless pain. It'll be better if I weren't here, if the both of us weren't here altogether. That way I don't have to cause anyone unnecessary pain anymore. I wish I were dead. I'm so sorry, Mum. So sorry._" He began to sob uncontrollably. The tears were coming on so fast that his vision was blurred and he couldn't stop shaking. He rocked back and forth, hugging himself, trying to cope with the grief that seemed like it would never end. He heard sounds of pain and anguish that seemed to come from his own body. Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms around him, squeezing him tightly. His mother made them both sit down on the ground, leaning against the wall, hugging him. Her sobbing stopped and only tears dripped down her face as she buried her face into George's hair. Her voice wavered as she began to speak, "Georgie, Georgie, I am so sorry. It was wrong of me, I'm so sorry. No matter how much you may look like Fred, you're still your own person and it's about time I faced that. I won't do this to you anymore, Georgie. I'll be there for you because you need me right now, I promise to be a better mother. It just took me as a surprise, for a moment it was like looking at Freddie. But George, I know that you're not Fred. And in no way do I wish that you were dead. You both are my baby boys- my sweet, lovely, baby boys and both of you mean so, so much to me. I love you so much, Georgie. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." Molly sobbed quietly into George's hair as Arthur looked down at the both of them, tears hitting the tips of his shoes. He sat down to embrace his wife and son, trying to hold them together when they were so broken, so shattered. The three Weasleys sat for a while like that even when the tears eventually stopped and they all felt like they could cry no more. They leaned on each other, supporting one another and knowing that everything will be okay soon enough.

After an endless round of silence, George suddenly broke it by saying quietly, "Fred would be ashamed. He wouldn't want us to be crying over him- his favorite thing to do was make people laugh. He'd feel- no. I'm sure he's feeling awful right now, being the source of our tears." He wiped his face. "I'm done crying, Mum, Dad. At least for now. Fred wouldn't want us to be this way." With that, George squeezed his mum and dad gently before raising himself from the floor and walking away. To where, he didn't know. But he knew that for today, he was done crying. Fred wouldn't want him to be crying like that. He always saved George from tears, and it is a disgrace to Fred's memory to be crying over him so. As he walked on, Molly and Arthur Weasley watched him walk away, and for the first time that day, Molly looked into Arthur's face and gave him a small smile, which he returned. Mrs. Weasley realized that even with Fred physically gone, he was still making people smile, making George feel better. She leaned against her husband and closed her eyes, glad to know that Fred was still amongst them, helping them in their time of need and making them laugh and smile, spreading happiness- showing that hope was not lost when it felt like the light would never shine through again.

**Author's Note: **Hey guys, thank you for all your amazing reviews on Tumblr, I appreciate it so, so much. Reviews are what get me going and wanting to write more, so please leave some, I'd love you oh so very much- even though I love you still, just for reading this! It was a very emotional scene for me to write, taking a peek into George's head. I hope you all liked it, despite the fact that it's so filled with tears. Feedback? Comments? Thank you all! (:


	4. Home at Last

The sun was setting at Hogwarts, giving a peaceful orange hue to everything surrounding the castle. The stain glass windows on the magnificent building glowed beautifully in the light and the gentle breeze seemed to assure everyone that everything eventually would be okay. From the outside, the castle seemed like its usual self, for with the combination and strength of magic from the people that remained, Hogwarts was able to return to its original state and grandeur.

At the front of the castle, the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione gathered in preparation to go home. Tired and beaten, everyone was standing around in silence around the newspaper that was a portkey until Mrs. Weasley called out, "Well, ready, everyone?" Harry and Hermione exchanged uncomfortable looks, unsure of what to do until he spoke up and stated, "I guess this is goodbye, then. Hermione and I will be returning to Privet Drive and staying there until we decide what we want to do…" Harry cut himself off, noticing that all the red heads that he loved so dearly were staring at him and Hermione in disbelief, as if they'd grown extra heads. There was a shocked silence until Mrs. Weasley cried out fervently, "Harry James Potter. Hermione Jean Granger. I don't know if you two misunderstood me, but when I said the _family_ is going to be returning to the Burrow, I meant the _whole_ family," she stared at both of them with a penetrating stare that was so unsual for her warm brown eyes and continued, "Just because you two don't bear the last name 'Weasley' does not mean you can delude yourselves into thinking that you're _not_, because you two are my daughter and son in _every_ aspect of the word. Now, I don't know what caused you both to have a momentary lapse of sanity, but I want no arguments, you both are coming to the Burrow and staying- _no arguments_."

During the whole duration of the speech, all of the Weasley children had nodded their heads furiously, showing their adamant support of their mother's words, and Arthur Weasley had stared fixedly at both Hermione and Harry, letting them both know that he contained the same feelings as his wife through his eyes. When his wife was finally done, he spoke up with a gentle yet firm voice, "I don't want to worry for any of my children anymore. I won't sleep peacefully until _all_ of my children are under my roof, so I suggest you both come over to the portkey _right now_." As Molly and Arthur spoke, Harry and Hermione had been filled with overwhelming gratitude of the parents they had adopted as their own. Tears of happiness mixed with appreciation filled Hermione's eyes to the brim, threatening to spill over as she threw herself into Molly's arms, sobbing into her shoulder. Mrs. Weasley wasted no time putting her arms around her second daughter, running her hand soothingly through Hermione's wild brown hair. Over Hermione's shoulder she glanced at Harry, who was still detached from the group. Meeting Mrs. Weasley's brown eyes reluctantly with his green, he said quietly, "I caused you so much pain. I took your sons away from you- I made you live in constant fear and worry. I don't want to do that to you anymore, Mrs. Weasley. I…"

Harry was cut off by the force of Mrs. Weasley's hug. While Harry was speaking, Hermione had let go of Mrs. Weasley, giving her a look that released her to embrace her black haired son. Sobbing into his hair, Molly Weasley said firmly, "Harry Potter. You mean to Arthur and myself _just as much_ as our own biological sons. When we tell people that we are proud of our children, it's including you and Hermione. You both may have biological parents, but we saw you grow up into a strong man and Hermione a beautiful woman just as we did with our biological sons and daughter. From the moment you two became friends with Ron, you were inducted into the family, and I'm telling you now, once a Weasley, always a Weasley. I am so, so proud of you Harry, and it wasn't _you_ who caused me pain. I'm proud to have taken part in a war that resulted in safety for my children and future grandchildren for many generations to come. Now quit being silly and join us before the portkey leaves."

Ron, looking over at the scene with his mother and his best mate, was filled with emotion. Previous to the War, he would have been so jealous of his best mate receiving attention from his own mum, but now he understood after his experience with the locket horcrux. There was no need to be jealous- no one in his family compared him against Harry. Amongst the people he loved, Ron was Ron, and Harry was Harry. Ron smiled slightly to himself as he thought how ridiculous it was to get something good out of his adventures in finding the horcruxes, yet during the journey he'd grown in a way he would've never suspected prior to completing the journey. He no longer had to constantly escape the shadows of his best mate and brother, for he realized that anyone who mattered to him and anyone who loved him would never compare him to anybody, for they had already accepted him as Ron Weasley. Walking over to his mum and his best mate that had become his brother, he embraced the both of them, muttering jokingly to Harry, "Stop being a git and come on. Get the fact that you're a Weasley through that thick head of your's and let's go."

Harry looked up appreciatively at everyone and spoke two words that made everyone sigh in relief- "all right." The twins cheered and Ron grinned at him before making his way to a happily tearing up Hermione and grasping her hand, leading her to the portkey. Ginny walked slowly up to Harry, taking his hand as she stated quietly with a smile, staring into his endless emerald green eyes, "You don't always have to be the hero and martyr, Harry Potter." She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. He smiled down and got lost into her chocolate brown eyes as he whispered back, "I know."

Everyone made their way to the portkey and put a finger on it and experiencing the whirling sensation as the portkey turned blue and transported them to the Burrow. All the bodies surrounding the portkey slowly walked away from it, looking out at the much missed home and drinking up its presence in relief and subdued happiness. Out of everyone, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the happiest to see the Burrow, standing there in all its glory. Although it was no mansion or manor, in their minds it did not matter for to them the Burrow was far better than any house that ever stood. The three friends grasped each other's hands as they fell behind the others, staring up at the house that they had missed so much, collectively sighing for they were finally home.

**Author's Note: **Hello to all my lovely readers! Thank you so much again for taking the time to read the story and its updates, it means oh so much to me as an aspiring writer. I tried to capture the scene where it made it completely clear that Harry and Hermione were just as important to the family as any other "regular" Weasley. I hope it wasn't too awful, and please leave reviews- your reviews are the things that keep me going and by reading them I reach a stroke of inspiration. So please, review and I love you all!


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